Now available Amy Shannon's Balls-Town
Author Amy Shannon
About Amy Shannon
Amy Shannon is an American Storyteller, living in upstate New York, where she grew up. She shares the stories in her head by putting them on paper (virtual or real), and most of her stories focus on the strength of women.
Amy has written over 120 stories, both full-length novels and short stories, as well as poetry and innovative thoughts, and essays under her name. She has written under two other pen names (Alex Tempera and Royal Henry Bleu).
In 2004, Amy was a cancer survivor. In 2005, she survived a domestic violence assault, which resulted in her spouse going to prison, and lifelong migraine headaches. Amy has four sons, who are very supportive of their family, and her passion. Amy went back to school in 2011, and since then has received her bachelor’s in English, master’s in Adult Education, and master’s in business administration.
Amy Shannon suffers from chronic daily migraines from her domestic violence assault. In the past two years, she had developed neurological movement disorders that include tremors that affect her hands and torso, leg spasms and muscle jerks, which affect her gait, sleep, and ability to be steady on her feet. She was recently diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, which provides her joints with constant pain. She still does work for authors, such as writing reviews, but also editing and other document services.
Where to buy Amy Shannon's Books
Writer's Resources, Guides and Workbooks
Depths of Characters: A writer’s resource & workbook for character building
2019
Depths of Characters: A writer’s resource & workbook for character building Amy Shannon is an author, Book Reviewer (Amy's Bookshelf Reviews) and co-host of the podcast "The After Show with McKensie Stewart & Amy Shannon." Amy has written over 108 stories and still has more to come. Most of her stories are fictional dramas featuring strong, female characters, though two of her stories have a male protagonist and main character. Depths of Characters is meant to be a writer's workbook for character development. Inside, this book provides tips, shares experiences, and gives examples that fit the character categories. Categories include, but are not limited to character names, building character profiles, protagonists and antagonist. This book also contains pages for note-taking, and exercises after each section for the writer to complete. This book is intended to be a resource, workbook, and writing tool. The end of the book also has a Resource and Reference page. This book also includes examples from authors such as McKensie Stewart, Melanie Nowak, and Abdiel Leroy. There are also excerpts from classic literature authors, such as Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Homer, and Dante Alighieri. "Don’t just write what you know, write what you want to know," -Amy Shannon Workbook has many uses. New or experienced writers who want to challenge themselves. Part of a creative writing curriculum, or even as part of an English/ELA homeschool program.
Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews Best Reads Recommendations & Review Journal
2024
Amy's Bookshelf Reviews is a website run by sole owner, Amy Shannon, who is a professional book reviewer and influencer. This book was created from contributors, who are authors that have had their work read and reviewed by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. This is a book that recommends great reads and hidden gems, and also provides a journal area on how to write a review, and where to post a review.
Contributors: Alex Tempera, Amy Shannon, Andrew G. Berger, Bob Freeman, Cathy Burnham Martin, Charles S. Isaacs, Chet Nairene, David Rheem Jarrett, Donald Firesmith, Earl Javorsky, Elliot D. Light, Eve Gaal, Gary Orleck, James Lingard, Jan Notzon, John Danenbarger, Karen Janowsky, McKensie Stewart, Michael Forester, Michael Ganzberger, Mitch Reinhardt, Niranjan K, Royal Henry Bleu, Syntell Smith, Vincent Donovan, Yurie Kiri, and Zola Blue.
So, YOU want to Write a Book? What now?: A writer’s guide from the first word to publication by Amy Shannon
2025
This book is designed to support authors at every stage, from novices to experienced writers, as they navigate the publishing journey. It covers the entire process, from drafting to finalizing the manuscript. Learning from someone who has experienced this journey can offer invaluable insights, though it's important to remember that what works for one writer may not work for another. This can vary based on factors such as genre, the distinction between fiction and nonfiction, poetry versus prose, and other reasons why certain methods may be effective for some but not for all.
Many people often say, "I should write a book." If you feel this way, then go ahead and write it. You won't know until you try. Some people discover their writing talent early in life, while others find it unexpectedly later on. So, if you have the urge to write, just do it. Don't overthink it; start writing and see what unfolds. You can always revise and edit later. The first draft is never perfect, but it provides a solid foundation to build upon.
This book aims to educate and offer advice based on my experiences and the insights I've gained from others. It is not a definitive writing guide but reflects over 20 years of my experience in writing, editing, publishing, and networking globally. I wanted to share my knowledge beyond blog posts, so I've compiled relevant insights here. Any resources used will be documented at the end of the book.
Balls-Town: A Community of History, Friends, Neighbors, and Lingering Spirits
2024
Balls-Town
Every life, every death tells a story.
With such lush and savage history, the Towns of Milton and Ballston were one, Balls-Town. The settlers, pioneers may still be recognized for the start of the towns, but there is more to the story. People, not just prominent, and the writings of people, long past, where their work may be long forgotten. It is a shame that some are forgotten, so with this being a history of Balls-Town, the incorporation of the Village of Ballston Spa, it is also an homage to those who wrote about these precious lands of the towns. Some stories, poems, and historical writings about these hometowns, may have been once lost, but in this book, some of them are being revived.
I'm Amy Shannon, and this is my hometown, and its community of history, lingering spirits, and neighbors.
MOD LIFE EPIC SAGA
The MOD Life Epic Saga
M= Markum O=O'Roark D= Dix
Drama. Suspense. Family. Stalking. Raising the dead. Corrupt Law Enforcement. Human Experimentation. Kidnapping. Murder. And that's just for starters. For the residents, it's all about how you don't have to be blood to be family.
The Saga
Follow the lives of the Sara Springs Residents with this 67-Volume Set, with 9 bonus books. (Sars Springs is a fictional town in Arizona). The books are only available on Smashwords and Lulu.com
Publication Dates: 2005-2024
Contrary Measures
Second Edition 2017
Truths transform into lies as emotions clash with broken memories.
Rayna Larson lost her entire life in a single moment. On the edge of impending loneliness, she sets out to find something ... something that will improve her new life. Clashing emotions and memories contradict each other, making Rayna wonder about what was and how she will get to will be. Soon, she finds herself nursing a mysterious man who literally drops at her feet. The connection she feels for the familiar stranger, Ethan Phillips, is something she can't even deny. Trust becomes a big issue as pieces of her old life fall into place, and yet, others disappear. Rayna wonders if she can trust herself, her feelings for Ethan, and any answers she gets about her old life. In some ways, Ethan is a big help, and other ways, he’s more secretive than she realizes, especially when she realizes that his secrets overlap with her own past.
Who took her life away and who wants to keep it buried and locked away in her mind forever?
Fractured Tears: A Struggle for Justice [The Expanded Version]
Fourth Edition 2022
Anna Coleman gave her husband one more chance for them to work on fixing what was wrong with their marriage. Ted used that chance to try to kill her. Anna didn’t give up or give in, she fought to survive, and she fought for justice, as it became a personal struggle. All she wanted was for the justice system to properly punish Ted for what he did to her, and it took a lot of strength, perseverance, and support.
Read how Anna struggles to fight for justice, and deal with her personal issues from having been betrayed and abused by her husband of 13 years.
This is a fictionalized version of the real life events of the Author.
Warning: This book contains scenes of domestic violence and may trigger PTSD or not be for some readers.
This is an expanded version and Fourth Edition.
Names have been deleted or changed for privacy reasons.
This is both a fiction book based on real-life events and a nonfiction book that tells my story.
Unlawful Identity
2012
NYPD Detective Samantha "Sam" Lange, her thoughts and ideals scarred from the sudden death of her brother, falls for the charms of FBI Agent Parker Carlisle. Carlisle gives her choices with only one real option, do anything to keep her family safe.
Sam must leave her old life behind her in order to work for him, as a hitwoman. As Sam and Parker grow closer, she wonders if she can truly trust him, especially when she must go undercover in order to take down local crime boss, Jack Morrison. Parker and Sam both hide their personal connection to Morrison, in order to do the job at hand.
Emotions collide with trust and loyalty as Sam falls deeper and deeper into her role and Parker's bed.
How will her decisions affect both her past life and future life?
Can she really trust her heart and Parker or will his secrets reveal the worse kind of betrayal?
Unlawful Identity. Loyalty comes with a price. Betrayal
Shattered Pages: A Lincoln McLaren Mystery
Second Edition 2022
Best-selling mystery author, Tristan Wyatt (aka Lincoln McLaren) is in the middle of writing the third volume of his series, while also training his latest assistant, and deal with life outside of his writing. Link's neighbors refer to him as the creepy recluse that lives in the extremely large home. Link prefers it that way. His house assistant, Sally, does her best to keep him on task. Losses in his life, add to his already eccentricities. All of a sudden, he becomes a person of interest in a series of murders that are happening in his small town of Bridgeport. Not everyone understands him, especially his fondness for not wearing clothing. With his late wife, still in front of his mind, and his heart, Charlie wonders if she'll ever get close enough to him. She likes him as he is, even when as there is a killer out there, using the books he wrote, and the one he is still writing, as a murder map.
Link reevaluates his life and his relationships as more bodies are dropping, close to home. Will he revert to his old self and have a nervous breakdown, or will he be able to keep his sanity, as he becomes their number one suspect?
Chains
2014
Twelve-year-old Veronica “Ronnie” Lawrence was kidnapped from the steps of her middle school, and taken by Dr. Shawn Channing or as she knew him, “Mister”. Channing kept her chained in his basement dungeon, while he enslaved her and kept her for years. With some inner strength she never knew she had, she survived, the torture and abuse. As she grew up, she truly believed she would never leave and see her family again. Then on day 3855 of her captivity, she was rescued.
Take a journey with Ronnie on how her strength keeps her alive, even when her body is damaged and broken. Can she survive outside of Channing’s prison-like manor?
The Profiler Series
Prowl
2014
Andrea Wallace cannot go anywhere without her shadow, Keith Leonard Fontana … a man obsessed with her. Stalking her for years, his behavior escalates. When she starts dating a police officer, Fontana becomes unhinged, killing or attacking anyone she encounters.
Andrea meets local FBI profiler, Special Agent John Marshall, who is assigned to her case. He helps her realize her natural talents of observation and perception.
After he finally catches her, the story is not over. Andrea reaches inside herself for inner strength and turns the tables on her stalker, with her new pet and security, a retired police dog, Ralph.
Fontana is on the prowl, but is he alone?
Preyfiler
2014
Special Agent Andrea Wallace focuses on her new job as she tries to come to terms with her break up with John Marshall, and new relationship with the Police Chief, Bill Caldwell. Her new protocols and procedures for dealing with stalkers becomes her greatest investigating tools, however, she never realized that her past as a victim of a stalker, would not only enhance her career skills, but also come back to haunt her.
She keeps being pulled back into the murderous world of one of her former stalkers, even though he sits in a prison cell. Will she be able to deal with her feelings for the men around her as well as keep her focus? Will John’s return comfort or hinder her hard work?
The past is always one step in front of her, threatening her own control.
Fettering Shadows: A Jake Dalton Investigation
2017
In the quiet town of Oklahoma, former Texas Ranger Jake Dalton faces his darkest fears as a new case brings the deadly past to his doorstep.
Private Investigator Jake Dalton, once a respected Texas Ranger, now enjoys the quiet life in a small Oklahoma town, meticulously crafting a new existence far from the chaos of his past. Even when his former partner reaches out for help with a series of unsolved serial murders, Jake is more interested in his present routine than revisiting old shadows.
Everything changes when Dr. Agatha "Aggie" Constantine walks through his office door. Hiring Jake to track down her stalker, Aggie believes that this very stalker might also be the elusive serial killer known only as Icarus.
As Jake delves deeper into the case, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to Aggie. Amidst a web of distrust and uncertainty, Jake must rely on every resource and contact he has. The haunting echoes of his past case resurface with a vengeance when torsos bearing gruesome similarities start appearing. Jake quickly realizes that this time, the danger has come knocking right at his doorstep—demanding more from him than he ever anticipated.
Passionate Retribution Series
Passionate Retribution
Second Edition 2015
Ex- Detective Carly Edwards, recovering from a horrifying attack, is determined to bring her attacker to justice - especially when the police prove to be of no use. With the help of friends, she begins to reconstruct her life. As the past collides with the present, Carly is determined to make the alleged attacker pay for his crime. Suddenly, love appears out of two different directions and she needs to decide. As events and emotions play havoc in her mind, she fears losing control. Soon, friends and family are being injured or killed, and she becomes more determined than ever to get retribution. But is the price too high to pay? Will it cost Carly her life? Or her friend’s lives?
Passionate Retribution 2
2010
When ex-NYPD Detective turned Private Investigator Carly Edwards took on her ex-lover, Tyler Mathison as her partner four years ago, she never dreamed that she'd be investigating his murder. As the pain of his loss, fills her head, she finds herself trying to not only keep her personal life together but keep her head on straight so she can focus on finding the new killer. As she becomes encompassed by her own private pain, she learns that she not only has to deal with a murderer but a stalker that won't let her be. As the past comes to the present and continues to haunt her, she needs to reevaluate her life and the lives of the loved ones around her. As always, Carly is bent on revenge, but is it for her own piece of mind or the safety of those she loves the most?
Passionate Retribution 3
2015
Carly Edwards-Marshall, a private investigator in New York City, faces another emotional toll when someone so deeply close to her loses his life. Desperate for retribution, she is determined to find the one responsible for causing death and pain, while she has to deal with her own emotions of pain, grief and attraction for another man. Carly and her family need to heal and move on with their lives while trying to find the answers they so desperately seek. Will Carly finally get her happily ever after or will retribution be too hard to pass up?
Passionate Retribution 4
2020
Carly Marshall, local Private Investigator and former detective with the NYPD co-owns her private investigation firm with her partner, former NYPD Detective, Leo Travers. Two years ago, Carly lost her husband to murder, but lately, she’s been seeing signs of him. Her family and friends, are concerned that she’s jumped head first into denial, until they start seeing the signs as well.
When Edna, owner of the local diner that Carly and her family frequents, asks for Carly’s help to find her missing son, the case becomes more than she or Leo bargained for.
Is Elliot alive? And will Carly and Leo find the answers they seek even when agents when agents from both the FBI and Homeland Security are very interested in a simple missing persons case?
When one simple case explodes, many lives will be shaken
The Complete Passionate Retribution Collection
2020
The Passionate Retribution series spans over several years. Each story is standalone, but to fully understand the characters, it is recommended to be read in order. Introducing Carly Edwards, a former NYPD Detective, who is on disability in book one, due to a severe assault on her person. Eventually, she becomes a Private Investigator that collaborates with both NYPD, FBI and even Homeland Security. Carly is estranged from her father, and her mother died. Her only sibling is her brother, Terry, with secrets of his own. Carly’s best friends are Derek and Peter, a couple that she’s been friends with almost forever. The reader learns of Carly’s relationships with Robin, her former boss, her former partner, Elliot, and a new connection with Leo, an ex-cop who owns a martial arts studio. To top it all off, in book one, a lover, Tyler, from the past comes back to the city to revisit their relationship.
The Savvy Macavoy Series
Smashed: A Savvy Macavoy Story
2015
Savvy Macavoy is not your typical private investigator. Her braids, jeans, and sandals always give off a unique impression on her clients. Savvy has lived an interesting life and with her best friend, Leonard at her side, loves living her life, her way. She isn’t ashamed of her childhood spent on the hippie commune, but has an estranged relationship with her six brothers.
Savvy is attracted to her whiskey but tries to maintain being professional when she’s working for clients. Savvy thought everything in her life was under her control, until she met Strick, a veteran forced into the homeless life on the streets. When he crosses her path, without thinking or forethought, something about Strick draws her into him, and she immediately helps him.
Savvy tries to focus on her case, enlisting Strick’s help, to search for the missing late husband of wealthy widow Angelica Margolis. Strick and Savvy try to solve the mystery of “The Missing Harold.”
The Relic: A Savvy Macavoy Story
2018
Savvy Macavoy isn’t a typical private investigator, but she’s one of the best. Known for solving unique cases, she works alongside her partner and lover, Deklin Strickland “Strick” and her best friend, Leonard. Savvy is well-known, maybe too well-known to the NYPD, especially since she has what they refer to as an attitude, where she thinks it’s protecting her client’s privacy.
With her red hair with purple streaks and pig-tail braids, she tries to stay true to her hippie roots, and herself. Savvy and Strick get closer as they try to help Leonard, all while dealing with Savvy’s large band of brothers. And that’s just the beginning, especially when Mr. Stein hires Savvy to find something of great value to him, and so begins The Case of the Missing Dictator.
The Forsaken
2024
Dorothy Wellington has a special gift, something that she never talks about, except with family. Dorothy can hear and smell the dead, some spirits wandering, some roaming, and those of her family members who still roam the family home. The family home, however, is not in your typical neighborhood or community, it is in the middle of the Village of Ballston Spa Cemetery. The house was built to be a meeting place, but then it was a family home, passed down to generations, which included the secrets within the walls, and those lingering over the cemetery itself. A recent widow, Dorothy is summoned by her father to come home. Pop wants help, not for him, but for a member of their family they thought was lost forever, and to help find a person who has been missing for over 200 years. Dorothy connects with her great-nephew, Samuel, and discovers he also has gifts. Are these gifts enough to resolve the past and give people some closure?
Plan B
2024
Guy "Russ" Russell is Plan B for whatever the secret government agency hires him to do. If Plan A doesn't work, they go to Plan B, for better or for worse. Russ is used to looking at the world through the scope of his rifle, but when a disheveled homeless vet "Jones" comes to his PI business without an appointment, Russ and his partner, Jean, are intrigued by him, and his case. Can Russ keep his secret life from his current life?
The Bridge of Shadows
2024
The creepy house on the hill has a long, history and legend among the townspeople of Bridgeport Village. After the death of her long-time partner, Andrew Bridges, Edwina packed up her daughter, Andoria, and moved to the town of Bridgeport, where she had a job waiting for her, and Andoria, had a legacy of family generations and secrets to discover. Now, Andoria must face her family's past, see beyond the shadows that haunt the house, and figure out how to lift the alleged Bridges' family curse.
The Backyard
v
Lyle's new neighbor is extremely interested in his gardening habits. George can't help himself, but be curious. George is a writer, who makes sure he does the research and experiences that his stories tell. He also thinks that Lyle is interesting. As a person. What is it about these men that find themselves connected to each other?
Explore The Backyard and find out.
Worth
2024
A mistake that could cost Marva her life, she lands in a dark place where they are just merchandise. The merchandise were once women, who no one would miss or realize was gone. They were "merch" with no value, no worth until they were auctioned off. A ring of human traffickers, where only some know who the next person up in the chain is. Marva was taken. She was not on the list, but only in the wrong place at the wrong time. Her wife, Millie, knows she is missing and will do whatever she can to find her. After talking with her friend who works tech in the FBI, she learns about the horrors that her wife could be going through. Anyone and everyone is a suspect, especially after an undercover agent is also a piece of merchandise.
G.O.D.'s Hands
2024
Dr. Edward Stone, head of a secret lab, conducts various apocalyptic experiments. He shares his lab with Dr. Julia Reigns but keeps some chaotic experiments to himself. Dr. Stone creates the first Human Artificial Intelligence, Geode, from earth elements. Geode’s quest for power triggers a catastrophic chain of events, causing a meteor to split and devastate the solar system and Earth.
The narrative then shifts to Chicago police officer Zeke, who recounts the aftermath of this cosmic disaster. The world is now a chaotic mix of burned corpses, tsunamis, and tectonic shifts. Zeke leads his mother and Josiah, a former cult leader and prepper, in search of a safe haven. They encounter others along the way, some of whom join their group, while others are beyond saving. The story explores whether Zeke and his family can survive the new, perilous universe.
My Final Chapter: A Legacy of Words: A collection of short stories, essays, and thoughts
2022
My Final Chapter: A Legacy of Words by Amy Shannon
This is a collection of short stories, flash fiction and essays that I’ve written over the years. I don’t know if I will ever add more stories, but they probably would only be short ones. I am writing this part very slowly, as my tremor disorder has been diagnosed as neurological, my condition has worsened, and my hands shake almost all the time, especially when I hand write or type. Writing has always been a part of me. I have some unfinished works but hopefully by the time this book is finished, those stories will be part of this, and finished as well.
The last words of this book, are the last words in a story, in a book, to be read by the public, written by me.
Foreword Written by McKensie Stewart
Cover Design: Bil Richardson
The Ultimate Short Story Collection
2024
This collection contains all of her short stories that are individually published in separate books, and it includes a couple of extra stories. The stories have a variety of genres, from crime thrillers, to a geological apocalypse to paranormal and supernatural.
Titles included in the collection
- The Backyard (serial killer, crime)
- The Bridge of Shadows (paranormal and supernatural)The
- Forsaken (paranormal and supernatural)
- A Ghost's Writer (paranormal and supernatural)
- God's Hands (A geological apocalypse)
- Killer Lake (serial killer, crime)
- Plan B (private detective, crime)
- She (crime)
- Worth (crime, human trafficking)
Red Ruby
June 1 2025
Those who dare trespass, beware the wrath of Red Ruby's Revenge!
About Red Ruby.
Travelers are souls existing in the dimension where time and space converge, experiencing rebirth through reincarnation over centuries until they choose to cease living another life. When the Waldens started their family, many of them were Travelers. However, this is only a small part of Harold/Jackson/Rudy's lives. Ruby Walden, who died in 1929 at the age of six, became a legend akin to the infamous Bloody Mary, but unlike Bloody Mary, Ruby's legend is real. Harold/Jackson/Rudy Walden share the same body but must change identities across generations. Ruby was Harold's little sister, the only family member he truly loved. He manages the family cemetery and honors his sister, yet sometimes trespassers attempt to summon "Red Ruby," the little girl who seeks revenge on behalf of lost or late children. Those who summon her, will seal their fate.
Unbroken Souls
2014
When I write novels and stories, the thoughts come directly from my mind, my imagination and go straight to paper. The characters are the voices in my head.
However, when I write poetry, it comes straight from my soul to paper. The words I write in prose are not thoughts but the only words I can use to describe what is part of me, inside of me.
Tattered Words
2016
Call it poetry, call it thoughts, but whatever it is, I must put it on paper the minute it crosses my mind or it will be lost forever. I sometimes share these random thoughts that cross my mind, and sometimes, I keep them to myself. However, here I am sharing more.
Not a sequel, but more like a continuation of my poetry book “Unbroken Souls”. A natural thought process of creativity, imagination, inspiration and emotions. Some emotions that get shared, and some I keep for myself. I do not always have to feel it, I just have to write it. Welcome to my Tattered Words
All of my Yesterdays
2019
All of my Yesterdays is a collection of my inspirations and how I am affected by many of my reads and listens. Yes, it’s more than just reading the words, but listening to the words, the sounds, the songs, the lyrical melodic tones that tell the story. Whether it is written, told, or even sung, words are inspiring. Gives a new life to my own words, thoughts, and ideas.
To inspire is to allow breath, And to give and receive, thoughts, ideas and stories
All of OUR Yesterdays by Amy Shannon, Featuring Dennis E. Shannon
2025
This book is dedicated to my father, and also features some of his own poetry, and essays. My father has dementia now, but he always had the mind of a genius (he was literally a genius with an IQ of 162), but as time went on, he had the heart of a poet. He may not be able to read anymore, but I’m sure, somewhere, there is still a poem in his heart. My father, himself was a great poet.
My father’s legacy will live on, even if it’s just words, because it’s never just words.
Author's Note: 25% of the proceeds of this book will be donated to the Dementia Society of America. https://www.dementiasociety.org/
Coming June 1, 2024. Amy Shannon's latest Short Story "Red R
Red Ruby isn't just a legend!
Those who dare trespass, beware the wrath of Red Ruby's Revenge!